An Excerpt from
the first Sermon preached
at the Metropolitan Tabernacle

"I would
propose that the subject of the ministry in this hous, as long as this platform shall
stand, and as long as this house shall be frequented by worshippers, shall be the person
of Jesus Christ. I am never ashamed to avow myself a Calvinist; I do not hesitate to
take the name of Baptist; but if I am asked what is my creed, I reply - 'It is Jesus
Christ'.

My veverated predecessor, Dr. Gill, has a body of
divinity, admirable and excellent in its way; but the body of divinity to which pin and
bind myself forever, god helping me, is not his system, or any other
human treatise; but Jesus Christ, who is the sum & substance of the gospel, who is in
himself all theology, the incarnation of every precious truth, the all-glorious personal
embodiment of the way, the truth, & the life."

Charles Spurgeon's Last Words at the
Metropolitan Tabnernacle

"If you wear the livery of
Christ, you will find him so meek and lowly of heart that you will find rest unto your
souls. He is the most magnanimous of captains. There never was his like the
choicest of princes. He is always to be found in the thickest part of the
battle. When the wind blows cold he always takes the bleak side of the hill.
the heaviest end of the cross lies ever on his shoulders. If he bids us carry a
burden, he carries it also.

If there is anything that is gracious,
generous, kind, and tender, yea lavish and superabundant in love, you always find it in
him. His service is life, peace, and joy. Oh, that you would enter on it a
once! God help you to enlist under the banner of..."

The Tabernacle fellowship goes back to
the year 1650, thirty years after the sailing of the Pilgrim Fathers, and at the time that
Parliament had just banned Baptist meetings. The Tabernacle traces its roots to a
congregation which braved constant persecution, and which met in a house in Kennington
belonging to Widow Colfe. The meeting grew rapidly under its first pastor, William Rider,
who apparently died in the plague.

Then came Benjamin Keach, famous for his
books - still in demand - explaining the miracles, parables and metaphors of the Bible. A
prominent leader among Baptists, he led the church through much persecution, and built its
first chapel near Tower Bridge as soon as freedom came to Baptists in 1688.

Dr John Gill, whose Bible commentaries
also remain in print to this day, became pastor in 1720 and served for 51 years. He was
one of the greatest biblical scholars of his time. During his ministry the church strongly
supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common. There, in 1739,
the earliest sermons of the Great Awakening brought thousands of people to experience the
new birth.

After Dr Gill came Dr John Rippon (in
1771), who served for 63 years, building up the church so that it became the largest
Baptist congregation in the land.

The next long and notable pastorate was
that of C H Spurgeon, who first preached to our congregation (then housed in New Park
Street Chapel) in 1853. His arrival soon led to such crowds thronging the chapel that
services had to be moved to a vast hired hall in the Strand, and then to the Royal Surrey
Gardens Music Hall, where up to 10,000 people assembled.

The present site was acquired for the
Tabernacle partly because of its prominent situation and partly because it was thought to
be the site of the burning of the Southwark Martyrs. For this reason our foundation-stone
bears the words: 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.' During Spurgeon's
ministry tens of thousands were converted to God under the preaching of the Word. Today we
are privileged to worship in surroundings hallowed by such a history.

C. H. Spurgeon pastored the church for 38
years, founding a pastors' college, an orphanage, a Christian literature society and The
Sword and the Trowel magazine. Over 200 new churches were started in the Home Counties
alone, and pastored by his students. His printed sermons (still published) fill 62
volumes. In 1887, toward the end of his ministry, Spurgeon led the church out of the
Baptist Union because of the widening influence of theological liberalism in the Union.
Today we continue as an independent Baptist church, obeying the biblical command to have
no common ground with unbiblical teaching.

The original Tabernacle of Spurgeon's
time was burned down in 1898 (excepting the front portico and basement), and rebuilt along
similar lines. It was later burned down for the second time when hit by an incendiary
bomb in the longest air raid of World War II (in May 1941). Once again the portico and
basement survived, and in 1957 the Tabernacle was rebuilt on the original perimeter walls,
but to a different design.

A NEW ERA

The war led to the Tabernacle fellowship
being greatly diminished as few members of the old congregation were able to return to
heavily blitzed central London. By 1970, our ranks had fallen to the point where we
occupied only a few pews, but then the Lord again refreshed us and blessed our testimony.
We give all the glory to Him for the large numbers of people who have come into the
Tabernacle over the past quarter-century, for the numerous professions of faith, and for
the various ministries which have been established.